Cotton-chopper.



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DAVID H. HAZLETT, OF DENDRON, VIRGINIA.

COTTONCHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed August 8, 1906i Serial No. 629.759.

To all whom, t 171,001/ concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID II. HAZLETT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Dendron, in the county of Surry and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Choppers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton choppers, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to provide improved means for rotating thechoppers.

Another object is to provide a yielding frame for carrying the choppingmechanism, said frame adapted to run upon the ground and to rise andfall while passing over uneven ground without interfering with theoperative connection of the parts of the chopping mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide im roved means forautomatically regulating t ie tension of the sprocket chain and toprovide simple and convenient means for quickly throwing the choppingmechan ism into and out of operation.

These and other objects are attained by means of the constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an endelevation of the axle and wheels of a cotton chopper embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the axle andlooking toward the left in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing for a more particular description ofmyinvention, the numeral 1 designates the axle of the machine to which theground wheels 2 are secured. Fixed upon the axle 1 is a sprocket wheel2/ around which passes a sprocket chain 3, said chain passing around asprocket wheel 4 secured to the end of a shaft 5 journaled in a frame 6,said frame comprising upright bars 7 in which is journaled an axle 8provided with wheels 9. The upright bars 7 are passed through keepers 10secured to the axle 1, and surrounding said uprights above the keepers10 are springs 11, said springs bearing at one end against the keepers10 and the opposite ends being held in place by nuts 12 secured to theouter ends of the bars 7. Forming part of the frame and secured to thebars 7 is a bracket ,13 provided with bearings 14 for the chopper shaft15, said shaft having a beveled gear 16 on one of its ends and choppers17 secured to the opposite end thereof. The choppers 17 each comprise abar provided with a slot 18 for adjustment of the choppers, and bolts 19pass through the slots,

18 upon the opposite sides of the shaft 15, as shown in Fig. 2. Thechoppers are provided with outwardly extending arms 20 to which aresecured the chopping blades 21. On the shaft 5 is fixed a beveled gear22 on which is formed a grooved collar 28, and a shifting lever 24engages the groove in said collar and is pivoted to a bracket 25 securedto one of the uprights 7, said lever 24 being designed to be operatedbythe foot of the driver for engaging and disengaging the beveled gearsto throw the choppers into and out of operation, as will be understood.A crank shaft 26 is journaled in the uprights 7, and upon the outer endof said crank shaft a sprocket wheel 27 is secured, said sprocket wheelengaging the chain 3 intermediate the sprocket wheels 2 and 4 fortightening the chain to compensate for the upward and downward movementof the frame connected to the uprights 7. A lever 28 secured to thecrank shaft 26 is provided with an adjustable weight 29 for holding thesprocket wheel 27 into engagement with the sprocket chain 3.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that as the wheels 9 pass over theuneven ground.

the bars 7 rise and fall and yield to obstructions owing to the springs11 surrounding said bars above the axle, the sprocket wheel 27 beingalways held in engagement with the chain 3 by means of the weight 29.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a cotton cho per, an axle, wheels mounted on said ax e, a wheeledframe mounted on springs supported upon collars connected to said axle,a shaft passing through said frame, a sprocket wheel on said shaft, asprocket wheel on said axle, a chain passing around said sprocketWheels, and a weighted belt tightener for tightening the sprocket chainas the wheeled frame rises in passing over uneven ground, substantiallyas described.

2. In a cotton chopper, an axle, wheels journaled to said axle, a framecomprising upright bars mounted to slide in keepers secured to the axle,springs surrounding said bars to yieldingly support the same, wheelssecured to an axle journaled in said bars, said wheels adapted to bearupon the ground, a beveled gear on a shaft mounted in said frame, asprocket wheel secured to said shaft,

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a chain passing around said sprocket Wheel, sprocket Wheel on the aXleover Which Ysaid a Crank shaft journaled in said bars, a Chain passes,substantially as described. 1o sprocket Wheel on said crank shaft, aWeoht In testimony whereof, I affix 'my signature secured to said shaftfor automatically tgsl1tin presence of tWo Witnesses,

ening the chain to compensate for the yeld- DAVID H. HAZLETT. ing actionof the frame, a chopper shaft, a Witnesses: beveled gear thereon, meansfor engaging EDWARD ROGERS,

and dsengagng the beveled gears, and a M. VEST.

